Orange
What did Dad teach you? Comments Off on What did Dad teach you?
Loving, goofy, protective; maybe stern when necessary; maybe not.
Fathers: Some can be role models, pillars of strength and assurance (or, if not, as close as they can get) in times of need.
Today, Father’s Day, we offer a few stories of Orange County dads and what they taught their kids.
Some led by example, others by words. But they all have one thing in common:
They were there.
Seven
Melissa Barrera struggled to find words to describe the sacrifices her father, a solo parent, made for his kids — all seven.
With her parents already split, Barrera and her siblings were left in a tough spot after their mother chose to leave the kids, too. For one thing, their father, Richard Rodriguez, didn’t have much money.
But he came back to his kids, opened a carpet-laying business, and rented a one-bedroom apartment in Stanton. It was all he could afford at the time.
After working two months straight, he found a four-bedroom home to rent.
As they grew he worked a lot, but he wasn’t absent.
“He would make sure we had what we needed,” said Barrera, 40, who lives in Orange. “Before going to work, he would do our laundry. He was the first one up and the last one to bed.”
Being a single dad with daughters, Rodriguez learned a lot during their teenage years.
“Hitting puberty wasn’t easy,” Barrera said. “There were really no women that we looked up to.”
Somehow, Rodriguez, now 67, was able to make time for the family to take trips to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.
“We would make sandwiches in the car,” Barrera said.
Rodriguez’ ability to maintain his business, which he still operates, and make time for his children while raising them on his own, was empowering, said Barrera. She’s now a mother of five..
“You can make it on your own and be a good parent,” she said. “He just showed me that it didn’t take a lot… You just need to show that you’re there for them.”
Birthday Dad
Finally, at age 25, Sharon Todd had someone she could look up to.
That’s when Stephen Connor became Sharon Todd’s stepfather. In the 41 years since then, he’s taught Todd, of Orange, to be honest, kind and respectful — all while making her mother the happiest person on earth. Todd said her biological father left when she was 9, after her parents divorced. So Connor offered something different; a father figure.
Todd, now 66, looks up to Connor because of his honest, hard-working nature. Connor served as a Lieutenant in the Army during World War II and, upon his return to civilian life, spent 50 years working as a pharmacist. Today is his 98th birthday.
“He is such an honest person,” Todd said. “He has instilled in me the (ideal) of not judging other people, even though I do sometimes… To accept people as they are.”
Connor has always had a passion for people, and for having fun, Todd said. And even though it’s lower on the list of life lessons she’s picked up from Connor, his philosophy of having scotch at happy hour and wine at dinner is also something she’s taken to heart.
Critically, any time Todd needed a little assistance, Connor found a way to make it happen.
“The love he has shown us, when he didn’t have to…it means everything,” she said. “I have a dad. I’ve had a dad for 41 years.”
At 98, Connor needs some assistance getting around. Todd is more than willing to provide for him.
“It’s hard to explain what (Connor) means to me, because I never really knew my dad,” she said. “To have someone like this come into my life and accept…all of us for who we are and welcome us with open arms, it mean everything to my siblings and me.”
Love helps
Sometimes, just the way a father carries himself can be big.
Erica Brewer-Crandall, of Huntington Beach, grew up watching her father, Tollie Ronald Brewer, show his love through passion and presence.
Brewer passed away three years ago, at 73, but he left a legacy for his four daughters.
“He always taught me to love myself,” Brewer-Crandall said. “He loved my mom dearly, and everybody knew that, and would always comment on how supportive he was.”
Brewer-Crandall, 38, is married and has a son, Elijah. She used her father as an example for the type man she wanted as her husband.
“My mom always would say I married someone similar to my father,” she said.
Strongman
It should have been one of the best moments of Angela Claro’s life; the birth of her third child.
Instead, she spent much of the next few weeks in a psychiatric hospital, nearly consumed by postpartum depression.
Upon her return home from Riverside Regional Center, Claro received strength from a regular visitor; a 60-something man who had spent years toiling in Mexican strawberry fields and overcoming alcohol abuse. That man, described as nonreligious, sat at her bedside reading the Bible.
Her father.
Becoming the man who could give a daughter strength required Roberto Claro to make some adjustments. He also prepped for a new role — grandfather to Claro’s three kids.
It’s given Angela Claro a new vision of her father.
“I don’t see his errors anymore. I just see a good guy who still gives me strength.”
Add your own:
What did your Dad teach you? Add it in the comments section.
Orange to upgrade 2,500 street lights to LEDs Comments Off on Orange to upgrade 2,500 street lights to LEDs
The city is upgrading 2,500 Orange street lights to energy efficient LED fixtures that will save energy, last longer and better illuminate local neighborhoods.
City Engineer Frank Sun said the light-emitting diode fixtures are a big upgrade over the city’s current sodium-vapor lamps. The new lights shine considerably brighter while using less energy, and last up to 20 years versus the three to four years of the old-fashioned lamps, he said.
Replacing the 2,500 lamps, a majority of the city’s street lights, will cost nearly $1 milliond. The city will receive a $395,000 rebate from Edison for the upgrade, and the rest will be made up by more than $110,000 per year in energy savings from the more efficient lights, officials said.
The replacement project started early this month, with one of seven planned areas already finished – residents in northeast Orange have likely already noticed their lights have been replaced. The El Modena area and areas surrounding Orange Park Acres can expect to see their lights switched out this week.
“No Parking” signs will be put up in each zone before LED installation starts. The replacements take about an hour per light and won’t interrupt street sweeping or trash pick-up. Work will be done from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on main streets and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in residential areas.
***Street light replacement schedule
June 12 to 16: East Orange
June 19 to 23: Southeast Orange
June 26 to 30: Old Towne and central Orange
July 3 to 7: Northwest Orange
July 10 to 13: West Orange
July 14 to 18: Southwest Orange
Deputies find 3 lost hikers in Black Star Canyon Comments Off on Deputies find 3 lost hikers in Black Star Canyon
BLACK STAR CANYON – Orange County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday, June 8 found three lost hikers after a five-hour search in Black Star Canyon, which is east of Orange.
The hikers left their vehicle near a gate at the entrance of the canyon off of Silverado Canyon Road, sheriff’s Lt. John Roche said.
Around 11 a.m. one of the hikers used a cell phone to call 9-1-1 to report the group was uninjured but lost.
Deputies searched on the ground and from a Sheriff’s Department helicopter.
Just after 4 p.m. the helicopter crew spotted the hikers and lowered a deputy, who confirmed they were uninjured. One hiker was picked up by the helicopter and a deputy led the other two back to their car, Roche said.
Anaheim man convicted of attacking 3 women, sexually assaulting 2 of them Comments Off on Anaheim man convicted of attacking 3 women, sexually assaulting 2 of them
WESTMINSTER – An Anaheim man was convicted Thursday of attacking three women, each in a different Orange County city over a week in 2013, sexually assaulting two of them.
A Westminster jury found Raymond Martin Boykin, 21, guilty of more than a half-dozen felonies, including oral copulation with force or injury, assault with intent to commit sexual offense, robbery, car theft and evading a police officer.
During the opening of Boykin’s trial, Deputy District Attorney Whitney Bokosky described him as a “very scary individual” and a “predator of women.”
On Dec. 11, 2013, Boykin grabbed a 19-year-old getting into her car at the MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, pushed her into the vehicle, grabbed her phone, pressed a knife against her and sexually assaulted her.
The teenager was eventually able to escape, while Boykin took her purse and used her stolen money to buy a cell phone at a store in the mall.
Two days later, Boykin attacked a 42-year-old woman leaving an early morning service at the Sa Rang Community Church in Anaheim. He punched the woman, shocked her with a stun gun, grabbed her hair, bit her and ripped her clothes while sexually assaulting her.
The woman escaped on foot, while Boykin drove off in her car. An officer spotted Boykin driving the stolen vehicle several hours later, and police took him into custody after a pursuit.
After his arrest, a DNA search tied Boykin to a third attack that week.
During that incident, a Chapman student walking home along West Chapman Avenue in Orange after a night out with friends was grabbed by Boykin, who tried to pull her into a nearby parking lot. A passing motorist spotted the struggle, intervened and helped run off Boykin.
Boykin, facing up to 60 years to life in prison, is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 25.
At an O.C. park, CSUF experts make science fun Comments Off on At an O.C. park, CSUF experts make science fun
Families attending Science in the Park on April 29 at Irvine Regional Park in Orange were introduced to the world of science and educated on Orange County’s heritage of natural history, native animals and plants, and local Native American culture.
The event was presented by the John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center. The Cooper Center — a partnership between Cal State Fullerton and OC Parks — preserves fossils and artifacts in the county for research, outreach and education. Other participants included experts from Cal State Fullerton’s Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, CSUF volcano expert Valbone Memeti and campus club members.
Summer 2017 Concerts in the Park 0
The City of Orange proudly once again will be holding it’s Concerts in the Park at the historic Hart Park Band Shell. Enjoy Big Band era music, classic Motown, and a whole summer’s worth of musical 
entertainment.
This highly anticipated tradition invites locals to gather under the trees at Hart Park, connect with their neighbors, and enjoy the sounds of summer music at our yearly summer series of free concerts.
The concerts take place every Wednesday night from June 21 until August 9 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. We encourage blankets, low lawn chairs, and picnic baskets, though pets and alcohol are not allowed. There will be food available for purchase on site.
For more information on the City of Orange 2017 Concerts in the Park, please call the Special Events Hotline at (714) 744-7278.
2017 Concert Line-Up:
- June 21: Smokin’ Cobras, retro hits from the 50s to 80s
- June 28: L.A. Vation, U2 tribute
- July 05:- Stone Soul, classic Motown and soul
- July 12: The Trip, top 40 rock hits from the 60s to today
- July 19: Smith, modern and classic country
- July 26: Hard Day’s Night, Beatles tribute
- August 02: Wiseguys Big Band Machine, big band favorites
- August 09: Superlark, classic rock
If you would like to be considered for the 2018 concert series, demo packages/band press kits are currently being accepted until Thursday, February 8, 2018 by Ashley Taylor, Recreation Services Coordinator.
Huntington Beach man, the final at-large suspect, arrested in alleged credit card skimming ring Comments Off on Huntington Beach man, the final at-large suspect, arrested in alleged credit card skimming ring
The last of 13 defendants charged in an alleged La Mirada-based credit card skimming and drug trafficking ring has been captured in Orange County, authorities announced Friday.
Lloyd Luis Leyh, of Huntington Beach, was apprehended Thursday in Orange, FBI officials announced via Twitter. Details of his arrest were not immediately available.
He joined a dozen other suspects already in custody in connection with the federal 27-count indictment announced last month.
The suspects — many of which have ties to La Mirada- and Norwalk-area street gangs, such as the La Mirada Punks, the Carmelas and the Nazi Low Riders — are accused of using credit card skimming machines to steal the information from more than 500 credit cards, according to U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek. Many of the credit card numbers were obtained at a Huntington Beach restaurant.
Prosecutors allege the ring then made expensive purchases, then returned to items to stores for cash, netting more than $500,000.
Three of the defendants are also accused of methamphetamine trafficking, and one is charged with weapons violations.
Federal officials said the investigation has been ongoing for more than two years.
A look at Chapman University’s vision for its $130 million Center for Science and Technology Comments Off on A look at Chapman University’s vision for its $130 million Center for Science and Technology
Construction of Chapman University’s $130 million Center for Science and Technology – the largest and most expensive building project in the school’s history – has passed the halfway point along Center Street.
Planned to open for the fall semester of 2018, the three-story, 140,000-square-foot center will be divided into two part: the Hall of Science and the Hall of Technology and Engineering, bridged by a grand arch serving as the focal point of the building.
The center will be the new base of operations for the school’s Schmid College of Science and Technology, and will also house university’s upcoming engineering school.
Associate Dean for Academic Programs Chris Kim said moving into the center will be a game changer for Chapman’s science students and faculty.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say this building is going to be really transformative for the sciences,” Kim said.
***Halls of collaboration
Close to Argyros Forum, the entrance to the Hall of Science will open up into a 40-foot-tall lobby featuring a ceiling decorated in LED lights forming an “Ulam” spiral – a visual depiction of prime numbers.
Kim said bringing math back into the fold is one of the keys to the new building being an improvement for students and faculty. Until now, a Chapman scientist having a conversation with a mathematician typically involved a hike across campus, Kim said, making close collaboration challenging at times. That hike will be reduced to a quick jaunt up the stairs or a chance meeting in the hallway, Kim said.
“We’ve never really been able to configure our buildings or space in a way where the math faculty are integrated with the scientists. Math is basically the language by which most science operates,” Kim said. “Those types of interactions really can’t be underestimated in terms of their ability to foster new collaborations, new ideas and interdisciplinarity.”
Chances for interdisciplinary work are woven into the building’s design – labs will feature writable glass walls and closely related labs will be placed next to one another, allowing ideas to spill over and mix between disciplines. Students who might have once been separated between buildings will suddenly find each other working in neighboring labs, campus officials said.
Scientific art and other accomplishments will be displayed throughout the building and designs include little touches such as windows using “smart glass,” which can change from clear to tinted as the sun passes over the center.
This all feeds into the idea of “Science on Display,” a key theme the university has established for the building. Kris Olsen, vice president of campus planning and operations, said the hope is even non-science majors will be able to feel the weight of the work being done in the center’s halls.
***Space for learning
Andrew Lyon, dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology, said Chapman’s new science center is being designed as a place students can linger and learn, not just as a place to go to do lab work.
“We now know as educators that learning just inside the classroom is really not the only way to go about this,” Lyon said. “When we think about how people advance their scholarship, it’s not just in the laboratory or in front of the computer. I often tell people that most of my research grants and the most successful research ideas I’ve had, have come in a discussion over a cup of coffee with a colleague.”
The center is being designed with at least 25 places outside of the lab to study, including alcoves peppered through the building, a stairway equipped with an 80-inch display for students to use and even the visitor bleachers at Wilson Field will be connected for use on days when a game isn’t being played. Outdoor study areas will still be equipped with USB chargers for students to use while they work in the fresh air.
Lyon said he’s looking forward to seeing faculty and students set free in the new building – an exciting element for him, he said, will be seeing what the university’s scientists can accomplish with the constraints of a limited work space removed.
“It’s not just that it allows us to do science – we’ve been doing tremendous science for a long time now. What it really allows us to do is go beyond and ask even more impactful questions, and work in a more substantial way with our students to answer those questions,” Lyon said. “It’s kind of like the shackles are being taken off.”
The building is expected to be completed in June 2018, with faculty and students moving in by the fall.
Chapman’s Center for Science and Technology, by the numbers
$130 million to build
18 teaching labs and 22 research labs
140,000 square feet of building, with 145,000 square feet of underground parking
76,000 cubic yards of earth dug out before starting construction
2,740 tons of steel used
2,000 miles of cable running through the building
600 feet of building stretching down Center Street
344 parking stalls being added in two underground levels, replacing the 123-space Argyros parking lot
150 to 170 workers a week working on the construction now, with 200 a week planned in the summer months
Couple’s $100,000 gift to Santiago Canyon College – its largest donation – will support technical education students Comments Off on Couple’s $100,000 gift to Santiago Canyon College – its largest donation – will support technical education students
ORANGE — A $100,000 donation to Santiago Canyon College, the largest in the school’s history, will go to support Career Technical Education scholarships, opening new doors for both students and the college’s evolution, administrators said.
The gift comes from the estate of Arlin and Betty Pirtle and will support an endowed scholarship fund the late couple established in honor of their daughter, Beverly Pirtle, after she died from cancer.
Pirtle had many roles at SCC over more than 20 years, including instructor, program facilitator and Career Education Department Chair.
Julie Peekan, an administrative secretary in Career Education, worked closely with Pirtle and remembers her as a positive force for both the administration and students. Peekan said Pirtle was known by her co-workers as a jokester who could make Herculean tasks seem manageable – with help from snacks she would always bring – and as someone who always had an open door to students in need.
“She was always very positive, with a ‘we’ll get it done’ sort of attitude,” Peekan said.
Career Technical Education Dean Von Lawson said the gift will be the difference between some students being part-time or full-time, as financial burdens will be lifted from their shoulders.
Colleges such as Santiago Canyon have two main pathways for students: transferring to a four-year school or enrolling with a career technical education program that focuses on skills for a particular career. Lawson said CTE programs can be the difference in getting many families over the poverty line – and the coursework can be put toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree as well.
Lawson said the gift will have a wider impact on Santiago Canyon College, as the young school begins to find its place on the grander stage.
“I feel so excited that it came to us. We are young college, some 16 years old, still in our infancy stages,” Lawson said. “It has a buzz on this campus, and we hope others will look at this and say ‘yes, Santiago Canyon College is definitely worth investing in.”
Orange or Villa Park: Where is housing hotter? Comments Off on Orange or Villa Park: Where is housing hotter?
by JONATHAN LANSNER • Orange, Real Estate News • Tags: Business, Orange County News, Real Estate, The OC Register, Top Stories OCR on June 20, 2017
Where did the housing market start 2017 hotter: Orange or Villa Park?
Homebuying in the five ZIP codes in Orange in the first quarter rose as 321 residences sold vs. 290 a year ago, according to CoreLogic. That’s a sales gain of 10.7 percent vs. a 3.5 percent gain countywide.
Meanwhile, in Villa Park — ZIP 92861 — 17 homes sold vs. 11 a year ago. That’s a sales gain of 54.5 percent. In that ZIP, the median selling price was $1,365,000 vs. $ 1,260,000 a year ago, a gain of 8.3 percent.
In Orange communities in the first quarter …
ZIP code 92865: 51 homes sold in the period vs. 55 a year ago. That’s a sales loss of -7.3 percent. Median selling price of $595,000 vs. $ 537,000 a year ago, a gain of 10.8 percent.
ZIP 92866: 27 homes sold vs. 27 a year ago. That’s a sales loss of 0.0 percent. Median of $625,000 vs. $ 650,000 a year ago, a loss of -3.8 percent.
ZIP 92867: 89 homes sold vs. 77 a year ago. That’s a sales gain of 15.6 percent. Median of $661,000 vs. $ 625,000 a year ago, a gain of 5.8 percent.
ZIP 92868: 39 homes sold vs. 38 a year ago. That’s a sales gain of 2.6 percent. Median of $420,000 vs. $ 422,500 a year ago, a loss of -0.6 percent.
ZIP 92869: 115 homes sold vs. 93 a year ago. That’s a sales gain of 23.7 percent. Median of $585,000 vs. $ 650,000 a year ago, a loss of -10.0 percent.
And here are four countywide trends to ponder in the period vs. 2016:
1. By neighborhood, prices rose in 66 of 83 Orange County ZIP codes; sales rose in 50 ZIPs.
2. In the 27 least expensive ZIPs — where the highest median home price was $588,000 — 2,423 homes sold, up 5 percent. Sales rose in 70 percent of these ZIPs.
3. In the 27 priciest ZIPs — where the medians start at $742,000 — 2,630 homes sold, up 7.2 percent. Sales rose in 59 percent of these ZIPs.
4. Million-dollar ZIPs: 9 with 551 sales, up 13 percent vs. 10 million-dollar ZIPs a year ago.
DID YOU MISS? 1-in-5 Orange County home sales tops $1 million